Chrome yellow

Chrome yellow is a bright, warm yellow pigment that has been used in art, fashion, and industry for over two centuries. The pigment is derived from lead chromate, a chemical compound that was first synthesized in the early 1800s. The name "chrome yellow" comes from the French chemist Louis Nicolas Vauquelin, who discovered the element chromium in 1797.

For the novel by Aldous Huxley, see Crome Yellow.
Chrome Yellow
 
About these coordinates     Colour coordinates
Hex triplet#FFA700
sRGBB (r, g, b)(255, 167, 0)
HSV (h, s, v)(39°, 100%, 100%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)(75, 105, 46°)
SourceColorHexa[1]
ISCC–NBS descriptorStrong orange yellow
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

History

The discovery of lead chromate, the primary component of chrome yellow, is credited to the French chemist Louis Nicolas Vauquelin. Vauquelin was studying the mineral crocoite, also known as lead chromate, when he identified the presence of a new element, chromium. The discovery led to the synthesis of a variety of new pigments, including chrome yellow.[2] Chrome yellow had been commonly made by mixing solutions of lead nitrate and potassium chromate and filtering off the lead chromate precipitate.

Chrome yellow quickly gained popularity among artists and designers for its bright, sunny hue, which was particularly well-suited for use in fashion and textiles. The pigment was also widely used in industrial applications, such as in the production of paint, plastics, and ceramics.

In the early 20th century, concerns arose about the toxicity of lead-based pigments, including chrome yellow. As a result, many artists and manufacturers began to shift towards using safer, non-toxic alternatives, such as cadmium and zinc-based pigments.

The pigment tends to react with hydrogen sulfide and darken on exposure to air over time, forming lead sulfide,[3] and it contains the toxic heavy metal lead plus the toxic, carcinogenic chromate. For these reasons, it was replaced by another pigment, cadmium yellow (mixed with enough cadmium orange to produce a color equivalent to chrome yellow).[4] Darkening may also occur from reduction by sulfur dioxide. Good quality pigments have been coated to inhibit contact with gases that can change their color.[5] Cadmium pigments in turn are increasingly replaced with organic pigments such as arylides (Pigment Yellow 65) and isoindoles (PY 110).

Chrome yellow

Visual characteristics

The pigment is opaque, which means that it does not allow light to pass through, and has a high tinting strength, which means that a small amount of pigment can create a strong, intense color.

Permanence

Chrome yellow is moderately resistant to fading from exposure to light when it is chemically pure. Observations have found that over time though, it begins to darken and suffer discoloration by turning brown. This is seen in some of Van Gogh's fading pieces. According to Gettens, sometimes, especially when mixed with organic colors, it takes on a green tone by reduction of some of its chrome to chromium oxide.[4] The high lead content of the pigment makes it prone to discoloration over time, particularly in the presence of sulfur compounds. When it was used, its low cost had doubtlessly contributed to its continued use as an artists' color even though some subsequently discovered yellow pigments are more permanent.[6] Artists began using cadmium yellow instead of chrome yellow when they became aware of chrome yellow's instability.[7]: 190 

American school bus, painted in dark chrome yellow[8]

Notable occurrences
Piper J-3 Cub in chrome yellow standard color

The earliest known use of chrome yellow in a painting is a work by Sir Thomas Lawrence from before 1810.[2] The first recorded use of chrome yellow as a color name in English was in 1818.[9] In the 19th century, it was a popular choice among Impressionist painters, who valued its bright, luminous quality. Vincent van Gogh, for example, used chrome yellow in many of his paintings, including his famous Sunflowers series. Studies focusing on the techniques used in Van Gogh's Sunflowers series have revealed how Van Gogh skillfully mixed various shades of chrome yellow to achieve different effects.[10] Chrome yellow has also been used in fashion and textiles, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s. The vibrant color was a popular choice for flapper dresses, hats, and accessories, and was often paired with other bright colors, such as pink and turquoise.

In industrial applications, chrome yellow has been used in the production of paints, plastics, and ceramics, among other products. Its bright, intense color makes it a popular choice for a variety of applications, from signage and branding to toys and household items.

See also

References
  1. "Chrome yellow / #ffa700 hex color". ColorHexa. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
  2. Eastaugh, Nicholas; Walsh, Valentine; Chaplin, Tracey; Siddall, Ruth (2007-03-30). Pigment Compendium: A Dictionary of Historical Pigments. doi:10.4324/9780080473765.
  3. Pichon, Anne (2013). "Chrome yellow's darker side". Nature Chemistry. 5 (11): 897–897. doi:10.1038/nchem.1789. ISSN 1755-4349.
  4. Gettens, Rutherford John; Stout, George Leslie (1966). Painting Materials: A Short Encyclopaedia. Courier Dover Publications. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-486-21597-6.
  5. Entry on Bleichromat-Pigmente. at: Römpp Online. Georg Thieme Verlag, retrieved 22. Juli 2018.
  6. Harley, R.D (1970). Artists' Pigments c. 1600-1835: a Study in English Documentary Sources. London Butterworths. pp. 92–94.
  7. Kühn, Hermann; Curran, Mary (1986). "Chrome Yellow and Other Chromate Pigments". In Feller, Robert L. (ed.). Artists' Pigments: A Handbook of Their History and Characteristics. Archetype. pp. 187–217.
  8. Worobec, Mary Devine; Hogue, Cheryl (1992). Toxic Substances Controls Guide: Federal Regulation of Chemicals in the Environment. BNA Books. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-87179-752-0.
  9. Rowf, F. M. (1931-07-17). "A Dictionary of colour. By A. Maerz and M. R. Paul. Pp. vii+207. London: McGraw-Hill Publising Co., 1930. £8". Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry. 50 (29): 626–626. doi:10.1002/jctb.5000502910. ISSN 0368-4075.
  10. Monico, Letizia; Janssens, Koen; Hendriks, Ella; Vanmeert, Frederik; Van der Snickt, Geert; Cotte, Marine; Falkenberg, Gerald; Brunetti, Brunetto Giovanni; Miliani, Costanza (2015-11-16). "Evidence for Degradation of the Chrome Yellows in Van Gogh's Sunflowers : A Study Using Noninvasive In Situ Methods and Synchrotron‐Radiation‐Based X‐ray Techniques". Angewandte Chemie (in German). 127 (47): 14129–14133. doi:10.1002/ange.201505840. ISSN 0044-8249.

Further reading
  • Kühn, H. and Curran, M., Chrome Yellow and Other Chromate Pigments, in Artists’ Pigments. A Handbook of Their History and Characteristics, Vol. 1, L. Feller, Ed., Cambridge University Press, London 1986
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